University Archives
& Special Collections

Using Our Collections



Archival and Special Collections material may be consulted by all members of the Dalhousie academic community and the general public. All users are required to present a personal identification card. The department has closed stacks, so no browsing is possible. Items requested by researchers will be retrieved by a staff member and made available for use in the supervised Reading Room. Researchers engaged in extended work may place materials on reserve and be assigned a private research carrel. Photocopying is permitted if the item is not too fragile, and if it falls within the guidelines of Canadian copyright law.

Special Collections Research Loans Policy

Only in special circumstances will non-circulating books with the 'SPCOLL' or 'SPCOL+' designation be loaned. Fragile items will not be eligible for special loan. Normal special loans will be overnight and up to a maximum to 48 hours. The special loans will be available only from the DUASC Information Desk between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. A staff member must authorize the special loan. A user may normally have only three items signed out on a special loan at one time. A fine of $1 a day will be levied on overdue items.

Special loans may include:

  • material required for presentation in a specific class by either students or faculty
  • material required for indepth research purposes by graduate students and faculty
  • lengthy works required for indepth study and unavailable elsewhere in Metro
The Head of Special Collections may authorize longer loans in special circumstances, i.e. Christmas break. Special loans of non-circulating material will be made only to holders of valid identification cards from the Novanet libraries, and all Dalhousie students, faculty and staff.

Off-campus borrowers are not eligible for special loan.